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Lesson 2

We will read a summary of Act 2, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet. We will also read Act 2, Scene 2, the famous balcony scene. We will participate in a jigsaw reading to analyze the figurative language used in the balcony scene.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I recognize and interpret important relationships among key details and characters in Act 2, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet?

  • Can I evaluate the effects of figurative language in Act 2, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet?

  • Can I work productively in various roles with other participants?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare, Folger Shakespeare Library, Simon and Schuster, 2004
  • Multimedia
    • Romeo and Juliet: The Fully Dramatized Audio Edition, William Shakespeare, Folger Shakespeare Library, Simon and Schuster, 2014

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read

We will read a summary of Act 2, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet.

In Act 2, Scene 1, Mercutio, Benvolio, and Romeo have just left the Capulet party. However, Romeo, in love at first sight with Juliet, sneaks back into the Capulet house to see Juliet. Not knowing about Juliet, Mercutio and Benvolio joke about Romeo’s lovesickness for Rosaline.

Activity 2: Write

In preparation for reading Act 2, Scene 2, we will write down the definitions of various literary devices.

Write down the following terms and their definitions in your Vocabulary Journal:

  • soliloquy

  • dramatic irony

  • simile

  • metaphor

  • personification

Activity 3: Read – Discuss – Write

We will read lines 1–142 of Act 2, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet and deepen our understanding of the characters Romeo and Juliet.

Read and annotate Lines 1–142 of Act 2, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet. As you read, pay attention to how Romeo and Juliet convey their emotions through the use of figurative language.

As a class, respond to the following questions about Act 2, Scene 2:

  1. Where does Shakespeare use dramatic irony in this scene?

  2. What effect does Shakespeare’s use of dramatic irony have in this scene?

  3. How is your understanding of the character of Romeo deepened in this scene? What lines support this?

  4. How are Juliet’s emotions similar to Romeo’s? How are they different? What lines support this interpretation?

Capture the discussion in your Character Note-Taking Tools for Romeo and Juliet.

Activity 4: Read – Discuss – Write

We will participate in a jigsaw reading to examine the effect of figurative language in the balcony scene.

Step 1

In this jigsaw, you will first work with your expert group (e.g., Expert Group A, Expert Group B, Expert Group C, or Expert Group D). As you read and analyze assigned lines in your expert group for their literal meaning and the significance or impact on the scene, you become an expert on those lines.

In the next lesson, you will form home groups made up of experts from each expert group. In your home group, you will share your analysis of the assigned lines from your expert group in a jigsaw discussion.

Step 2

Form Expert Groups A, B, C, and D as assigned by your teacher. In your expert group, read your assigned lines from Act 2, Scene 2. In your analysis, identify and discuss the meaning of the following literary devices:

  • metaphors

  • similes

  • personification

  • imagery

  • allusions

Note: Some lines might use a combination of literary devices.

Use the following questions about Act 2, Scene 2to guide your discussion and analysis of figurative language:

  1. What type of figurative language is being used?

  2. What effect does the figurative language have on your understanding of the characters of Romeo and Juliet?

  3. What effect does the figurative language have on your understanding of themes in the play?

Step 3

Next, use the Figurative Language Jigsaw Tool to analyze the significance of your group’s selected lines. Determine the literal meaning of the lines and their significance in the scene. Write your notes on your Figurative Language Jigsaw Tool.

Finally, write a claim in either your Learning Log or a Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool in response to Question 3 and discuss how you might teach your lines to the home group.

You are now an expert on the Romeo and Juliet lines assigned to your group.

In the next lesson, you will form home groups made up of experts from each expert group, where you will synthesize what you learned in your expert groups.